Netflix - Stranger Things

By Garett Sloane |
February 05, 2017 |
:30

Kellogg's frozen waffle brand Eggo receives a windfall of publicity in this commercial for the second season of Netflix's 80s nostalgia series "Stranger Things," which kicks off as if it's an actual "Leggo My Eggo" spot from decades past.

"Sorry about the glitch during your big game ad," the Twitter account for Stranger Things posted after the spot aired. "We have the Hawkins A/V Club looking into it."

The A/V reference was to the show's geeky middle-school cast.

Later Eggo would tweet: "They totally interrupted our ad, but it was worth it."

It was all part of the real-time Super Bowl banter that has become an integral part of brands' marketing plans. Kellogg knew the ad was coming, and was prepared for it, reacting to the mention on social media.

Kellogg said it had nothing to do with its role in the show, which began during season one. But once it saw the initial product integration, the brand and its agency, VML, wanted to get more involved, according to an advertising executive familiar with the marketing.

"It was a surprise, then all of a sudden they pushed to get that connected tissue there," the ad exec said the day after Super Bowl LI, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Eggo is going to have ties moving forward with 'Stranger Things,' and they're working on some big things."

"Eggo's presence in Stranger Things was a happy surprise for the brand and it was clear that fans loved it as much as we did," said Trinh Le, Eggo marketing director, in an e-mailed statement. "So, we couldn't resist partnering with Netflix in their Super Bowl ad. The partnership is promotional only. All product featured in the show is organic."

The "Stranger Things" Super Bowl commercial was among the top 10 of the night, according to YouTube Ad Blitz's early online view counts, with more than 4.1 million YouTube views by the afternoon after the game.

Netflix wasn't the first streaming video service to advertise in the big game: Hulu showed up all the way back in 2009 ("Alec in Huluwood"). As it happened, Hulu also secured time in Super Bowl LI to promote a big show of its own, the adaptation of Margaret Atwood's book "The Handmaid's Tale."